IBM 5155 analogue display fault

[Tony Duell]

> 
> On Sat, 28 May 2005, Tony Duell wrote:
> 
> > > Just place the originals screws in a pouch (and for Tony, with a note
> > > explaining what they're doing in there) and fasten it to the inside of the
> > > computer somewhere.
> >
> > A better idea, surely, is to get the L-shaped Bristol Spline key that
> > fits said screws and tape that inside the machine. That is, if you don't
> > think future repairers will have a full toolkit.
> 
> I honestly don't see a difference.  As long as the original parts are kept

Are you going to also include a diagram showing which screws were 
originally Bristol Spline, or do you assume future restorers/historians 
have the original engineering drawings?

Anyway, small parts have  tendency to get lost. It's not serious if a 
Bristol Spline _key_ goes astray, that was never part of the original 
machine. But the screws were.

> with the machine and the replacement screws do not somehow do damage (i.e.
> wrong size, wrong threading, etc.) to the case then it doesn't affect the
> machine negatively.

Next you'll be telling me that it's OK to replace the guts of all classic 
computers with a PC running an emulator provided you keep the original 
boards with the machine....

Jules has originally proposed a reason (which I fully agree with) as to 
why these screws were used in the first place. That is something that 
might be of interest to future enthusiasts. Heck, it's of interst to me 
now. There is no good reason why that information should be lost

There are people who collect the original packaging for classic 
computers, who won't assmble old Heathkits (:-(, becasue they somehow 
feel that the way the components were packed is interesting, etc). I 
don't say I agree with them, but I certainly don't think they're idiots 
for caring about such things. Surely the internal parts of a machine are 
as least as important as the packing it came in. 

-tony